What should I do about swollen feet caused by rheumatic heart disease?

Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
Updated on February 23, 2025
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Patients with rheumatic heart disease who experience swelling in their feet usually suffer from heart failure. First and foremost, it is important to rest and avoid excessive exertion to alleviate the burden on the heart, ensuring adequate sleep and relaxation, maintaining a pleasant mood, consuming easily digestible foods, and following a low-fat, low-salt diet, particularly avoiding high-sodium foods. Eating foods high in sodium can lead to water and sodium retention, which increases the burden on the heart and worsens swelling. In severe cases, it is necessary to use effective diuretic medications under the guidance of a doctor to reduce the cardiac load and eliminate fluid retention.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
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Can rheumatic heart disease patients exercise?

Patients with rheumatic heart disease should go to the hospital for assessment, undergo cardiac ultrasound, and perform exercise tests. If the exercise test indicates cardiac function is below class II, or if the six-minute walk test reaches above class IV, exercise can be pursued. If patients have concerns, they can exercise under the guidance of a cardiac rehabilitation therapist at the hospital. For patients with cardiac function class III and above, exercise is not recommended. It is advised that they manage heart failure in the hospital or consider exercise only after surgery and when the condition is stable.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
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Can rheumatic heart disease cause fever?

Rheumatic heart disease, in the early stages of onset, can present with fever. The main cause of rheumatic heart disease is due to an infection with streptococcus that causes damage to the heart valves. Initially, bacterial infection is the most prominent clinical manifestation, with common diseases like tonsillitis. If effective medication is applied to control the infection at this time, it can reduce the occurrence of rheumatic heart disease. If not treated promptly, it can lead to damage to the heart valves, resulting in rheumatic heart disease.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
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What to do about reduced urine output in the late stage of rheumatic heart disease?

Patients with rheumatic heart disease who experience oliguria in the late stage should consider the possibility of heart failure as the cause. Due to heart failure leading to a decrease in cardiac output, renal blood perfusion is reduced, which in turn causes symptoms of oliguria. Additionally, if the patient also has renal function impairment, it will further exacerbate the symptoms of oliguria. It is important for patients with rheumatic heart disease who experience symptoms of oliguria to seek medical attention promptly and receive active treatment as soon as possible. Medications to control heart failure should be administered to increase the heart's contractility and cardiac output, improve renal perfusion, and diuretics should be given to increase urine output. With heart failure under control, the patient's condition can be alleviated. For patients with rheumatic heart disease, if there are indications for surgery, timely surgical treatment should be provided.

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Written by Wang Lei
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Can rheumatic heart disease be cured completely?

Rheumatic heart disease is primarily a specific type of valvular heart disease caused by the involvement of rheumatic fever affecting the heart valves. This disease can be alleviated through medication and surgical treatments. For asymptomatic rheumatic heart disease, special treatment is generally unnecessary. It is mainly important to avoid excessive fatigue and increased cardiac load. Additionally, avoiding getting a cold and preventing the activity of rheumatic fever are crucial. For cases of rheumatic heart disease that require surgical treatment, it is necessary to assess the heart's function and the condition of the valves to determine if there is an indication for surgery. Options may include mitral valvuloplasty or prosthetic valve replacement. These treatments can relieve the heart failure caused by this cardiac disease, but it is impossible to cure rheumatic heart disease through surgery.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
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The difference between rheumatic heart disease and myocarditis

Rheumatic heart disease refers to changes in the heart and heart valves caused by a disruption in the body's immune system following infection by Group A Streptococcus. Some also exhibit signs of heart inflammation and pericardial effusion, commonly presenting mitral stenosis, aortic valve stenosis or insufficiency, and tricuspid valve insufficiency. Myocarditis, on the other hand, refers to direct invasion of the heart muscle by viruses or bacteria, leading to heart muscle damage and cardiac dysfunction. Some cases present with arrhythmias, while others exhibit heart failure or shock, which can be severe enough to cause death. Generally, rheumatic heart disease has a longer course of illness, whereas myocarditis tends to improve within about two weeks. However, fulminant myocarditis has a high mortality rate, often accompanied by symptoms of heart failure, and some patients may suffer from long-term arrhythmias as a complication.